The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced four men to death by hanging for their roles in the 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, that left over 40 worshippers killed and about 141 others injured.
The four men are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25.
They were convicted of terrorism offences, including belonging to a terrorist organisation known as “Al-Shabaab” operating in parts of Kogi and Ondo states under the coordination of one “Adoba”, attending meetings for the planning of the terrorist attack, hostage taking and attacking the congregation explosives resulting in death, grievous bodily harm, and destruction.
Judge Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence after convicting the four men on nine terrorism-related charges in his judgement on Wednesday following about nine months of trial that started in August last year.
He discharged and acquitted Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, who is the fifth defendant and the oldest among the five defendants prosecuted for the bloody, fatal attack on the church in JUne 2022.
